A critique of Government

In some circles, I would be classified as liberal.

I believe in gender equality. I am against racism, prejudice, and discrimination of many different kinds. I believe in helping people, in doing good for the poor, in not fighting, etc. I am against killing people.

I happen to be vegetarian, though not for philosophical reasons. I’m in a band, and that makes me suspect right off. I believe that the future is bright, I believe in human progress, and I am an optimist. I don’t believe that the world is ending anytime soon (although that’s a different story).

But one point that I really differ with liberals on, is the role of government.

Liberals tend to view the government as the great savior of humanity. Human progress is seen as occurring through the intervention of government, and the UN and other major governmental entities are seem as the culmination of the movement towards the good. More unity, activity, and regulation by government are seen as the means by which society becomes more civilized. Some liberals hope for the UN to evolve into some kind of one-world government.

I disagree with this viewpoint. But this does not make me a conservative. A conservative wants a strong central government so that the military can be strong, and people can be punished for things like drug use, and not following the fire code.

By contrast, I see the government as the source of society’s ills. Do major corporations deceive and swindle the general public? The government is the source of the issue in the first place - governments create corporations from thin air.

Why is government bad? Because government is purely and simply one thing: force.

Government has no ability to reason, to persuade, to compromise. It can only threaten, beat, or kill.

If you don’t pay your taxes, it will lock you up, at gunpoint if necessary. If you don’t believe in supporting some of the things it deems important, it will punish and eventually kill you. If you are on the wrong side of whatever ethnic division is currently popular, you will suffer.

If it tries to help you, it will do so by stealing from someone else. And it will only do so because it wants to look good, and secure its own future.

And in helping you, it will force you to become dependent on it. It will attach rules and regulations to everything it does for you, until you are its slave.

It is horribly inefficient. If it gives you a dollar for food, it had to take ten dollars from someone else just to do so. If it tries to provide a service like mail, food, or driving privileges, it will do so in the most people-unfriendly manner possible.

It does not care about you.

By contrast, real good in society occurs through organizations of individuals who have a purpose, and who have NO ability to shoot you for not participating. Children are fed and taken care of, poor villages are given livestock, our impact on the environment is lessened, and racial and gender equality is achieved through the work of individuals who believe in what they do.

The legitimate structures and organizations in society work through voluntary effort, compensation and cooperation, and a belief in humanity.

Government works through force and evil.

-micah

DaNutz:

Micah,<br/><br/>You really have a bad read on liberalism and its view of government. Be very careful that you don't mistake government for Empire. Please don't let Rush Limbaugh tell you what liberals think. That would be like asking an atheist to define Christianity. They would get it all wrong.<br/><br/>No liberal thinks that <i>"government as the great savior of humanity"</i>. That is a myth. Ask some liberals what they think about government before you develop opinions. I bet you can't find even one!<br/><br/>Empire is evil, but government is itself non-biased to any thoughts about good or evil. Government has a choice about how it can manifest itself as either good or evil and that depends on who runs it. In a democracy, government is you and me (and the rest of us). When you criticize government you criticize yourself. <br/><br/>Government is the collective will of the people. It is us being community and making things either good or bad. Government is how people in a civilized society make large systematic changes. Without government the only way to make change would be to fight it out (literally!). Government can help create justice or it can inflict injustice. The choice is ours. <br/><br/>you said <i>"The legitimate structures and organizations in society work through voluntary effort, compensation and cooperation, and a belief in humanity."</i><br/><br/>That can be our government! Just get involved and think about your vote. That is exactly why our government was formed!<br/><br/>Governments give more to the poor than any other organiztions. Through government we ended slavery, established and enforce civil rights, provide justice, end genocide, and protect freedom. They do bad things but only when bad people are placed in power. If you don't like it then lets change it! It can definately be better.<br/><br/>Is it possible that you really do like government and really do agree with liberals but your government is run by conservatives right now so your having a hard time understanding the possiblities?<br/><br/>I use to be a libertarian (after I was a republican) then I discovered Jesus (and also the prophet you are named after). Since I began to follow Jesus I realized I can't make decisions based solely on what is best for ME. That meant I couldn't in good conscience be a libertarian any longer. I'm liberal because Jesus commanded me to love liberally not conservatively. Jesus' way is not a way of conservation, it is the way of sacrifice and generosity. Dying to self as Paul described it means living for others. Government is an important and valuable way for all of us to live and work for others.